Making the ASA Sustainable
for the Next Generation
The Campaign for the American Scientific Affiliation
Our Legacy... The Next Generation
Since 1941, the ASA has been an affiliation of Christians in the sciences engaged in interpreting, integrating, and communicating the discoveries of science with the insights of scripture and Christian theology. Building on this 80-year legacy, our strategic vision is to extend our impact, capitalizing upon our reputation for providing serious scholarly reflection in the science-faith sector and a nurturing place of Christian support, leadership development, and renewal for those in the natural and social sciences. This is a transformative moment for the ASA and the COVID crisis has provided generative opportunities for future growth and impact within the church and the sciences.
The Challenge of Reaching the Next Generation with Sustainability
Despite our significant progress, the work is not done. In our strategic plan, we have laid out objectives to expand our impact on members, the church, and society at large. In the next few years, we intend to:
- Expand Disciplinary Programming – We have identified an intentional focus on the natural and social sciences and expanding connections to theology.
- Expand Professional Formation – We are planning programs that serve our members in leadership and scholarly development and spiritual formation throughout their career stages.
- Expand Student/Early Career Effort – With an intentional investment in scholarships, our focus is on innovative efforts to make programming readily available to students and early career scientists.
This is why building the endowment is the #1 priority of the Legacy Campaign for the ASA.
ASA is a fellowship of Christian scientists and theologians in fields of industry, medicine, government, and education.
Contrary to what the world wants us to believe, Christians are active in all fields of science. I have found that my involvement over the years produced a kinship, establishing longterm relationships with members of the organization.
The organization offers many opportunities to expand our minds beyond our knowledge through publications, local chapters, and the annual meeting. I have had the opportunity to meet and listen to significant scientists, theologians, and Nobel prize-winning scientists in our local chapters and annual meetings. There are opportunities for leadership as well in local chapters and at the organizational level.
The annual meetings have been most rewarding visiting various cities and campuses in the US, Canada, and Great Britain.
Over the 57 years I have been a member, the organization has grown from its academic base to encompass many other fields of science such as biotechnology, which I have been involved in over my career. It is also encouraging to see so many students becoming involved and attending the meetings.
During my term on the Executive Council, it became evident that we needed an endowment to fund the organization in the future. Dues would only provide limited support as we grew the organization. We established the endowment fund in the 1980s which has grown over the years to advance the mission of the ASA. I count it a privilege to include the ASA in my will to help grow and fund the organization.
Addressing the Challenge
Consider the ways that the ASA is prioritizing student and early career participation:
- Sizeable funds have been distributed to students in scholarship funding over the last five years to attend annual meetings.
- Each of our student members receive 100% funding for membership dues.
- Significant dollars are raised each year to fund student memberships.
- Student membership continues growing, doubling over the last ten years.
- Intentional investments in partnership organization relationships and dedicated staffing to direct these efforts have been made.
- The new ASA Career Center is just one way we are increasingly helping students and early career scientists.
Investing in the next generation is vital and we are committed to this strategic endeavor.
Our Need
In spite of the ASA’s extensive efforts to create a robust stewardship model, funding continues to be a challenge. The impact of the ASA in fulfilling its mission depends on the loyalty and engagement of our entire membership.
This bold legacy campaign is a major part of the strategic plan and business model expansion that ensures our future. We strongly believe that growing the endowment will poise the ASA not only for impact growth but also for fiscal stability and financial sustainability for generations to come.
We are building a culture of joyful generosity as well as educating about stewardship and transformational giving.
By making the ASA a beneficiary in our will, Nancy and I have taken this step of faith in hope and expectation that the funds will be available when our estate is settled. But the final analysis is up to God. I do believe that I have gained more from my decades of ASA membership than the face value of this gift.
Campaign Progress
As of 9 October 2025
1
Single largest gift in ASA history
110
Individual gifts
36
States & Provinces where gifts originated
Number of Gifts: 110 | Gift Range: $1 to $2.25M
My father is Walter R. Hearn, resident of heaven along with my stepmother, Virginia (Ginny). Many of you will know that for many years, Dad wrote the bimonthly Newsletter of the ASA, for a while using the moniker the WOE (Wise Old Editor – which I thought should have been the Wise Old Owl, a.k.a. the “WOO who”!?!). Dad and Ginny were a writing and editing team, and Ginny would review each draft Dad wrote before submittal, with Dad watching to see if his writing earned a one- or two-Ginny-chuckle (we all really hoped for a three-Ginny-chuckle!). Dad and Ginny’s change of residency came in 2017, but I don’t believe this means they’ve actually retired. Sharing the love of Jesus Christ and ensuring that the fellowship of the ASA carries on – this is their legacy that I am delighted to help carry on as I can. I hope you will join me, as you are able.
The Opportunities
Legacy Campaign Goal Summary: $5,000,000
| GOAL AREA | DESCRIPTION | AMOUNT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Membership Expansion | Capital | $250,000 | |
| Reaching More Students | Capital | $250,000 | |
| Resourcing of Future Leaders | Endowment | $500,000 | |
| Student Scholarships | Endowment | $1,000,000 | |
| Organizational Initiatives | Endowment | $1,000,000 | |
| Achieving Financial Sustainability | Endowment | $2,000,000 | |
| Comprehensive Campaign Total | $5,000,000 | ||
| Naming opportunities available | |||
| Total Goal: | |||
|
Grow Endowment to $5M
(current value = $510,000)
|
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Esmond Lee is an international student at Stanford University from Singapore who has always wondered at how intricately the human body is knit together and, conversely, how it can break down in disease. While a lot of medicines today are dosed repeatedly to manage health conditions, he was intrigued that engineered cells could be used as living medicines to provide definitive cures.
His first ASA experience was attending the 2017 annual meeting at Colorado School of Mines with a group of friends from InterVarsity Graduate Fellowship at Stanford. They enjoyed the Colorado outdoors by camping out in a friend’s backyard. Esmond was glad to be part of a gathering of Christian scientists who think deeply about the relevance of faith to their discipline and how faith informs practice.
Esmond also enjoyed Francis Collins’s book The Language of God and had the opportunity to meet him in person at the 2018 annual meeting. Esmond sees Francis as a role model who has shown scientific leadership at the highest levels, and yet is down to earth and personable. In their relationship, he has observed how comfortable Francis is at communicating with both Christian and scientific audiences. While the topics might differ, his talks exude an integrity and consistency that inspire Esmond. They met again at the 2022 American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy where Esmond won an award to present a short abstract, and Francis gave the plenary address for the conference.
Esmond is one of the leaders of the ASA Silicon Valley Chapter. During the pandemic, the chapter members benefited from the ASA online activities. He feels that it has been wonderful to develop relationships with chapter members over the years and to introduce newer graduate students to the ASA community.
In his professional work, Esmond engineers regulatory immune cells to treat autoimmune disease, and he hopes that this therapy will benefit patients one day. His prayer is that he may be a person of peace who helps bridge perceived barriers between science and faith.
Will You Help?
Building on the 80-year legacy and mission of the ASA, we are working toward:
- Strengthening scholarship for serious reflection of science and Christian faith
- Building Christian fellowship and membership development
- Networking for the next generation by being a bridge
Our strategic vision is:
- Member services redefinition and enhancement
- Program growth and development
- Organizational capacity advancement
- Stewardship model expansion through endowment growth
All the while, achieving financial sustainability for the next generation of ASA members.
Our needs are great, but we serve a faithful Lord, a God of abundance who has given us so much already. Our desire is to partner with our supporters to steward our resources wisely and shrewdly allocate donations to make the most impact. Will you join us in this bold endeavor for Our Legacy...The Next Generation?
Thank you for prayerfully considering an investment in the ASA’s future. Help us ensure our legacy by reaching the next generation of leader. Call 978.887.8833, email asa@asa3.org, or donate online at asa3.org/giving.
But since you excel in everything— in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you— see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 2 CORINTHIANS 8:7
Note: For our friends in Canada, please visit the CSCA Legacy Campaign site. Our campaign has been designed in concert with the CSCA.